Based on my experience and published literature I believe that all Type 2 and most Type 1 diabetics can be healthier by using an appropriate diet rather than insulin or other drugs. The recommended starting point for both types is a one to two week changeover period and restricted basic diet. This is followed by testing of individual foods for allergy and blood sugar reactions in order to establish an individualized maintenance diet.

I am convinced that these instructions are safe but cannot take legal responsibility for any undesirable outcomes. Preferably use these protocols under the guidance or supervision of a health professional experienced in nutritional therapies with an understanding of diabetes treatment. For a theoretical discussion of diabetes see the related article ‘The Truth About Diabetes.’

TYPE 1 DIABETES

The Changeover

For insulin-dependent diabetics it can be more difficult and even dangerous to improve the diet gradually as this poses a constant threat of insulin overdose with resulting shock. While it is possible to change the diet gradually, in my opinion a sudden changeover is an easier and safer option, especially for someone on high doses of insulin. If you are employed, take a one or two week holiday. Alternatively, if you have to keep working, use the changeover diet on several consecutive weekends and continue with an improved but stable diet during the week.

The main purpose of the changeover diet is to start cleansing the body and especially the arteries and capillaries, discover and eliminate any food allergies and chemical sensitivities, and use it as a stable base from which to develop a suitable maintenance diet that requires the least amount of insulin or other drugs.

On the changeover day leave off all insulin and any other glucose lowering drugs but closely monitor your blood sugar level. If the sugar level remains reasonably low or steady, you may reduce the amount of testing. On the changeover diet there are usually no strong fluctuations in the blood sugar level. If the blood sugar generally remains above 10 mmol/l or 180 mg/100ml, then you may use an appropriate but generally low dose of long-acting insulin in the morning and evening to keep the blood sugar mostly below this level. Do not normally use short-acting insulin during this time as this may cause insulin shock.

A Cleansing Trial

If you are on high doses of insulin or are concerned for other reasons, or just want to see how your blood sugar reacts, I suggest that you make a cleansing trial for 4 to 6 hours to see how it goes.

After rising measure your blood sugar (except if you know from experience what it will be). Then drink a large glass of water (free of chlorine and fluoride) with the addition of fresh lemon juice at the ratio of 1 : 10 (1 part lemon juice + 9 parts water). Also add up to half a teaspoon of spirulina powder (or 1 - 2g of crushed tablets). Drink this slowly and then test your blood sugar again 45 minutes later. If it is much too high then use a small amount of insulin, but better if you can avoid it. If you have a pump that automatically provides the required insulin to keep the blood sugar. level normal, then just try to record how much insulin has been used.

An hour after the first lot, take another large glass of lemon juice and spirulina, and 45 minutes later check again the blood sugar. Again, use insulin only if you feel it is much too high. Continue drinking hourly glasses of diluted lemon juice with spirulina for several more hours until you have an understanding of how your blood sugar level behaves. Children may sweeten the drink with half a teaspoon of xylitol. Adults may experiment to see what effect xylitol has on their blood sugar regulation. Do not use any synthetic sweetener. Stevia is acceptable but xylitol is preferred. You may also test how you react to eating a tart apple, and if your sugar level remains elevated, also add up to half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a lemon juice-spirulina drink.

If the lemon drinks taste too acid, partly neutralize the lemon juice so that it is only mildly acid. A good way is by keeping the juice of a lemon in contact with a spoonful of dolomite powder for about on hour or two. When needed for a drink, pour off the required amount. From time to time add more lemon juice to the dolomite. With a longer cleanse use fresh dolomite powder each day. If occasionally you do not have lemon juice at hand, you may use a tablespoonful of (organic) cider vinegar in a glass of water. With raised blood pressure also magnesium oxide or magnesium carbonate, and potassium bicarbonate may be used as alkalizers. For children or with low blood pressure sodium bicarbonate may sometimes be used.

Keep a detailed record of all the blood sugar results, and how much insulin was used and when, and any problems that you may have encountered. This may give you confidence to repeat it for a full day or a weekend.

The Cleanse

Eat only apples for several days, as many as you like. Do not try to fast, eat at least 6 apples a day. Use mainly tart varieties, such as Granny Smith, and eat them spaced out during the day instead of in meal portions. Try to obtain organic apples, otherwise scrub them in warm soap water and rinse well. Preferably ingest the peels as well.

In addition, every waking hour or 12 times during the day drink a glass of diluted lemon juice with spirulina and possibly xylitol as described for the Cleansing Trial.

Each morning for the duration of the cleanse take a large glassful of water with about a tablespoon of Epsom salts, more or less as required to clean out the bowels. Add to this a clove of garlic crushed in some lemon juice; drink more water or herb tea immediately afterwards. Any water for drinking and cooking should be free of chlorine and added fluoride, use a water filter if necessary or buy suitable water. (Normal water filters do not remove fluoride). For children or adults who cannot tolerate it, you do not need to use the Epsom salts, instead just use the garlic in lemon juice, possibly slightly sweetened.

About one hour later take with a glass of water with lemon juice either several teaspoons of milk-free acidophilus culture or several high-potency acidophilus capsules, preferably also containing bifido bacteria, possibly also other lactobacteria. If available you may also use a cupful of acidophilus yoghurt made from goats' milk. All cultures should be free of cows’ milk protein. Continue with the acidophilus therapy for much longer, taking high-potency cultures with liquid before breakfast and other meals or several times daily.

If your blood sugar level is not normal after the first week, continue with this cleanse for a second week, and possibly even for a third week.

THE BASIC TYPE 1 DIABETES DIET

Children, depending on age, may remain for one to several days on this changeover cleansing routine, while adults may continue for one to two or three weeks, or until the blood sugar stabilises at an improved level. Start with one meal a day of the foods allowed in the basic diet. A day or two later increase this to two meals. If your blood sugar level is now reasonably low and stable without insulin, then start with allergy-testing the individual foods of the maintenance diet. If you still require insulin, remain for several weeks on the basic diet before you start allergy testing new foods.

The basic diet is a ‘safe’ diet with a minimum of glucose or foods such as starch that yield glucose during digestion. Suitable foods are meat, fish and other seafood, eggs, goats’ milk products (preferably fermented), Brazil nuts, ground linseed, avocados, lettuce and other leaf vegetables, celery, cucumber, some fresh tomato and raw onion for flavouring a salad, tart apples, lemon and lime juice. Green beans are especially good.

For normalising or stabilising the blood sugar level meat and fish may be conventionally cooked. However, the higher the cooking temperature, the greater will be the long-term health damage. Therefore, boil or steam but do not heat the food to above the boiling point. Nevertheless, much greater benefit in overall health will result from eating these foods predominantly raw. Use additional digestive enzymes with all cooked foods, but especially with cooked flesh foods.

Raw food and digestive enzymes are especially important for those who like to re-generate their insulin production, or for anyone with damage to their eyes, kidneys or blood vessels. Raw meat or fish are quite safe if you take suitable precautions. Try to find a source of organic meat and fowl, or otherwise grass-fed beef and free-range chicken. According to the Australian Department of Primary Industries freezing meat for about 10 days at minus 8°C or colder will kill any tapeworm cysts. Avoid any meat from feedlots, or fish from fish farms. Minimise eating large predatory fish, such as shark or tuna, because of their high mercury content. In addition use parasite remedies as outlined below.

Besides using raw minced meat, you may marinate diced meat or fish, or blend fish or chicken with water. Fresh fish often is sufficiently tender and tasty as it is. To marinate you immerse diced meat or fish in lemon juice or diluted cider vinegar and keep it refrigerated overnight.

Use raw onion, lime or lemon juice, ginger or chilli or any other herbs or spices for flavouring meals. If trying out raw flesh foods start using small amounts and increase gradually. Minimise the use of salt, and avoid it if you have a kidney problem, except if your blood pressure is rather low. Small amounts of magnesium chloride or potassium chloride are beneficial instead of salt. Egg yolk is best eaten raw and mixed with other food, while the white may be cooked; as a compromise you may soft-boil or lightly poach the egg, in any case the yolk should remain soft.

In addition to meat, fish or other seafood, egg or non-pasteurised goats’ cheese, eat a salad with each meal using the mentioned low-carbohydrate vegetables and possibly yoghurt. You may use virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. Avoid tinned fish with any kind of sauce, sausages or other manufactured meat.

Besides one or two meals, have apples or possibly pears and frequent drinks with diluted lime or lemon juice. Whenever you feel hungry, mix a teaspoon of spirulina (or chlorella) powder, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of lecithin with water (warm or cold) or with diluted lime or lemon juice as an appetite suppressant and energiser.

Finally, several times a day before or between meals mix a teaspoon of psyllium hulls in a large glass of water and drink immediately. This is to help clean out the intestinal tract and ensure two to three easy bowel movements each day.

If your blood sugar level remains more or less normal, or after several weeks on this basic diet you may use allergy testing as described below to see how you react to additional foods as suggested for type 2 diabetics. Continue to use only non-reacting or safe foods.

TYPE 2 DIABETES DIET

It is highly recommended to have a one to two-week cleansing period on tart apples, diluted lemon juice, Epsom salt-garlic flush and acidophilus culture as described for Type 1 diabetes. During this time it is advisable to leave off all blood sugar lowering drugs to avoid an insulin shock. If your blood sugar level is not normal after the first week, continue for a second week, and possibly even for a third week. When your blood sugar has normalised, or if you cannot immediately do this cleanse, use the following diet.

Also, several times a day before or between meals mix a teaspoon of psyllium hulls in a large glass of water and drink immediately. This is to help clean out the intestinal tract and ensure two to three easy bowel movements each day.

ALLERGY TESTING

If the blood sugar level becomes again too high after introducing the foods of the basic diet, or when introducing additional foods, test the blood sugar level before and after each new meal composition. If the rise in the sugar level remains within normal limits, the same ingredients do not normally need to be tested again. However, if there is an unusual rise, test the ingredients of that meal individually, especially any new additions.

Furthermore, try to take your pulse before each test meal and about 30 and 60 minutes after the meal. If the pulse rises much higher than after eating apples only or after a safe meal, an allergy must be suspected even if the blood sugar level does not show an unusual rise. Usually that means that the pulse rises by more than 10 per cent.

If either blood sugar or pulse shows an unusual rise, avoid the food to which this may be attributed for several weeks before testing it again. However, a certain food may not cause a problem if used in small amounts or only once a week, while frequent exposure to larger quantities or combined with other stresses may upset the sugar level. You may discover such pattern from a well-kept diary.

Make a column each for the time, the tested food or ingredient or the composition of the meal, the blood sugar and pulse before and after the meal, and finally any unusual reactions; also keep a record of any blood sugar lowering medication. Even nutritional supplements may react and need to be tested. For further information on allergy testing see Addictions & Allergies.

THE MAINTENANCE DIET FOR BOTH TYPES

Long-term Type 1 diabetics may require a longer period of additional therapies as described below before they can safely diversify their diet. However, there is no harm in trying. Some foods may be fine in small amounts, and only increase the blood sugar level in larger amounts or if eaten together with other carbohydrate containing foods.

Preferably much of the food intake should be fresh and raw. Fenugreek tends to delay the absorption of foods and this improves the sugar regulation. If it tests all right for you and you find that it improves your sugar level, then take 1 tablespoonful at the beginning of each meal that contains glucose-yielding carbohydrates together with the water in which it has been soaked overnight. Immediately before drinking you may in addition stir into it a tablespoon of freshly ground linseed. These may be freshly ground in a coffee grinder, or in a larger quantity in a blender, and kept in the freezer.

As long as the sugar level is too high, eat between meals either a tart apple or drink some fresh lime or lemon juice, later you may also try grapefruit juice. If you have elevated ketone levels greatly increase the intake of lime or lemon juice; also cider vinegar can be helpful.

If the blood sugar level remains elevated or problems remain with clogged arteries and the blood circulation system in general, go for several days on a lemon juice fast: ten to twelve times during the day in hourly intervals drink a large glass of purified water or herb tea with the juice of a quarter of a lemon, no other food. This is a good way to restore sensitivity to insulin, or normalise the blood sugar regulation, or if you want to lose weight. However, it will be more effective if you combine it with a program of intestinal sanitation: first thing in the morning take a tablespoon of Epsom salt and crushed garlic in a glass of water, and an hour later some acidophilus culture with your first lot of lemon juice. If you cannot use the Epsom salt and garlic, then take instead a teaspoon of psyllium hulls in a large glass of water once or twice a day to ensure continued bowel movements during the fast.

Citric acid reacts with fatty acids to produce energy. As long as you have fatty deposits, you can easily live on lemon juice. This is not fanciful as basically all of our food is internally converted into citric acid before it is converted into energy. However, to convert citric acid completely into energy, it needs to react with the breakdown products of fatty acids, see The Cellular Energy Metabolism for a diagram of this process. The late Dr Carey Reams reputedly cured thousands of diabetics of both types with a 3-week lemon juice fast that cleared the body of unhealthy fat deposits. Every hour or ten times daily patients would drink a glassful with one part of lemon juice and 9 parts of water, followed after 3 weeks by an allergy-tested natural diet. For more information on restoring the blood circulation system to good health also see Cardiovascular Disease and the Cholesterol Saga.

Jerusalem artichoke in small amounts has a beneficial effect on liver, pancreas and kidneys. If available, eat one about the size of an egg grated in salad every other day or less with mild diabetes. In larger amounts it may cause wind due to the indigestible, fructose-based polysaccharide inulin. Store J. artichokes in moderately dry soil, they quickly deteriorate in the refrigerator.

Liver can be helpful for lowering the sugar level. Possibly try eating several slices of liver (not fried) a week and see how you react. Type 2-diabetes can usually be normalised within weeks on a temporary raw-food diet.

Generally have small meals only. When the blood sugar level remains normal try additional varieties of fruit and vegetables but continue to avoid or minimise grain products. Do not cook in aluminium or with microwave, even stainless steel is not really good. Glassware is best, otherwise enamel. Eat your food freshly cooked and not reheated from the refrigerator, do not fry or otherwise heat food to more than 100°C.

If blood sugar levels become again elevated while normalising the diet, which may also be due to stress or an infection, return again to the basic diet, possibly with Epsom salts and garlic followed by acidophilus.

Restricted Food

Initially avoid the following foods completely and after the blood sugar level has become normal, minimise their use.

Restrict soy products as they are high in enzyme inhibitors and other anti-nutrients, except lecithin or if they are properly fermented such as Miso or Natto.

In regard to sweeteners, the best solution is to forget your sweet tooth, and learn instead eating and loving savoury food. However, if you cannot do that, then small amounts of xylitol or the herbal sweetener Stevia may be used.

Type 2 diabetics generally need to be less strict than Type 1 diabetics. Therefore, after normalising the blood sugar level, they may test and use potential problem foods in small amounts much sooner than insulin-dependent diabetics.

Be cautious with restaurant food, even normally harmless food may have been prepared with ingredients that drive the sugar level up. Minimise the use of non-organic fruit and vegetables, especially those most heavily sprayed, such as tomatoes, fruits and leaf vegetables. The best commercial bread is organic spelt or rye sourdough bread. The least harmful grains, which may be used combined with legumes, are millet, buckwheat (not really a grain) and brown rice.

SUPPLEMENTS

The following supplements may help and can be taken in the indicated amounts, usually during meals, until the blood sugar is normal. Then reduce them gradually. Also introduce and increase high levels of supplements gradually with testing to assess their effect on the blood sugar level.

During each meal take a medium potency multi-vitamin-mineral tablet, preferably providing a high level of chromium, at least 10 mg of vitamin B6 and 5-10 mg of zinc. Otherwise take additional zinc and chromium. The best form of chromium is as Glucose Tolerance Factor or as picolinate. Except where the soil is high in selenium, take 100 - 200 mcg of selenium. Try freeze-dried liver and MSM.

Cod liver oil is recommended in all cases. To emulsify shake a tablespoonful with some lecithin and diluted lemon juice in a jar. During periods when you have much sun exposure use other fish oils instead (except if you frequently eat cold-water fish).

Normally 500 mg (2 x 250 mg) of natural vitamin E in tablet form are sufficient per day but with problems from poor circulation to the legs try 3x500 mg; better than the common d-alpha tocopherol are mixed tocopherols.

Take 1-3 g of vitamin C with meals, e.g. half a teaspoonful of sodium or calcium ascorbate or mixed ascorbates 3 or 4 times daily with food or drink (vitamin C may cause non-specific urine tests to show a false positive).

If sugar levels remain elevated, try up to 5 x 500 mg of nicotinamide. This is recommended for most Type 1 diabetics. Plenty of antioxidants are beneficial in all conditions. In addition to vitamins C and E, you may use grape seed extract or pycnogenol, lipoic acid, Microhydrin, electrolytically reduced ionised water or air (Geomed) as well as fresh juice of grass and green vegetables, as well as foods that yield purple juice (eg beetroot, blueberries).

Approximately 500 mg of additional magnesium will be beneficial, more if the blood pressure is high. Mix one quarter of a teaspoon of magnesium chloride with most meals, or alternatively stir one quarter to one half of a teaspoon of magnesium carbonate (from a chemist) with twice that amount of ascorbic acid in some water or juice for a fizzy drink. If the blood pressure is low, below 120/80, (especially for children and young women) take dolomite powder dissolved or neutralised with lemon juice instead of magnesium.

Gymnema is an Indian herb that has been shown to regenerate the insulin-producing pancreas cells when used for 2 years. It also helps to prevent the onset of diabetes and to lower elevated blood sugar levels. Shortly before every meal that is likely to elevate the blood sugar level take an extract of about 200 mg or 1-2 g of powdered leaves.

Calcium arginate, the calcium salt of the amino acid arginine, effectively transports glucose into cells and helps to normalise type 2 diabetes. Also magnesium arginate may help. Daily doses of calcium arginate range from 2.5 to 3.5 g and of magnesium arginate from 2 to 2.5 g.

Use plenty of freshly ground linseed (keep frozen or refrigerated) and take 1 teaspoon of lecithin granules with meals. With poor circulation try 100 mg of niacin after meals. Even better is a niacin flush by taking it on an empty stomach. This helps to clean out and regenerate the capillaries. Do this about twice a week.

With degenerative eye changes take with meals up to 10,000 IU of vitamin A (as emulsion, halibut liver oil or cod liver oil), 100 mg of vitamin B2 in addition to increased vitamin E, zinc and ground linseed; also digestive enzymes and thyroid extract are helpful with diabetic retinopathy, as are evening primrose oil, fish oil and the bioflavonoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Try the herbs bilberry and eyebright.

With nerve damage (neuropathy) try 3x100 mg each of vitamins B1 and B6, hydrochloric acid, weekly vitamin B12 injections, later vitamin B12 tablets absorbed under the tongue or through the nostrils, and 500 mcg of folic acid.

Cinnamon is helpful for both types of diabetes. With Type 1 it may allow a reduction in the daily insulin dose. Generally take 1 teaspoonful daily in divided doses with meals. If taking more than 1 teaspoonful daily it has been recommended to boil the cinnamon in water. After some cooling pour off the solution for use and discard the solid residue.

Insulin-dependent diabetics who continue to need insulin on the basic low carbohydrate diet may try adding gradually increasing amounts of fructose to their lemon drinks. This may help to provide muscle cells with sufficient carbohydrate for normal metabolic functions; otherwise muscle protein may be used to generate glucose from amino acids. Start with half a teaspoon several times daily and increase up to a teaspoonful five to six times daily. Let yourself be guided by your blood sugar and energy level. Fructose is only harmful combined with starches, or on a diet high in carbohydrates, on a low carbohydrate diet it can be beneficial.

ADDITIONAL THERAPY

Most important and essential with Type 1 diabetes is intensive intestinal sanitation and anti-microbial therapy as explained in Additional Therapy for all Diseases. Other recommend methods are a Beck-type zapper or blood purifier, see Electronic Zapper & Magnetic Pulser, Oxygen Therapy as well as herbal parasite cure with wormwood, cloves and tincture of green hulls of black walnuts. All of these measures are mainly important for Type 1 diabetics who are still on insulin to regenerate the beta cells in the pancreas. Also use anti-microbial remedies as a maintenance program when you consume raw flesh foods.

An additional way to stimulate the liver and pancreas is with magnets. You may keep the south pole of a strong ceramic or neodymium magnet towards the skin over the liver and at other times over the pancreas as long as there are signs of inflammation or tenderness when pressed.

Even better is a fast magnetic pulser with a strong field and up to 10 pulses per second, see Resources in Australia for a supplier. Normally use the south-pointing pole for pancreas and liver, if in doubt let yourself be guided by muscle testing. The magnetic pulser is also good for eye or kidney problems.

Use additional therapies to stimulate the liver and the pancreas, the two most important organs for the blood sugar regulation. If your sugar level remains elevated, you may, for instance, see an acupuncturist, homoeopath, osteopath, energy healer or another health specialist for additional stimulation of these organs.

After 1-3 weeks on the cleansing program the blood sugar level should be much improved, and in many cases more or less normal. However, overweight individuals and long-term Type 1 diabetics may still have high early morning sugar levels that may come down after some exercise or other muscle activity.

Another measures you can take yourself is reflexology. Strongly press under the soles of your feet wherever you find a sore spot. The area connected to the liver is between the middle and the upper outer side of the right foot, the pancreas is near the insteps of both feet just above the midline, the kidneys are near the centre of each sole and the eyes at the base of the second and third toes of each foot.

You may press the soles against a rock, stone or golf-ball, onto the corner of a table or other furniture, or press with a thumb, knuckle or the blunt end of a stone or pen or pencil. Press each area for several minutes, repeat frequently or find a helper to press your feet.

To stimulate the spinal reflexes a helper may rapidly tap or vibrate the spine from between the shoulder blades to the small of the back, also press any tight and painful muscles in this area. You may try to hang upside-down from inversion equipment and do gentle spine-twisting exercises.

Strongly recommended are hot castor oil packs over the liver and upper abdomen. Liberally apply castor oil to this area, cover with a woollen rag and keep warm with a hot water bottle for about two hours. Add more layers of rag or newspaper as required to prevent the skin becoming too hot. Do this on and off for several weeks. It helps further to take a tablespoon of olive oil at bedtime to stimulate the release of bile and accumulated toxins, which are then flushed out the next morning with Epsom salts and garlic drink.

With colour therapy you shine a strong yellow light for about an hour or longer at close range onto the skin over the upper abdomen and the middle of the back. Instead of a yellow light bulb in a dark room you may use a normal bulb or daylight and cover these areas with yellow cellophane.

Exercise is very important for both types of diabetics, the more so the higher the weight or the blood sugar level. Start with gentle rebounding, and gradually increase the duration and vigour of the exercises to include jogging or aerobic dancing or other aerobic exercises but always with strong breathing so that you do not get out of breath. Exercise lowers sugar levels by channelling glucose into muscle cells even in the absence of insulin, or in Type 2 diabetics by making cells more sensitive to insulin. In contrast, additional insulin or blood sugar tablets lower blood sugar levels mainly by converting glucose into fat, which is highly undesirable.

Sunshine can increase insulin production and improve blood sugar regulation. Preferably expose your unprotected skin to sunlight for 5 - 15 minutes several times a week. Do not use sunscreen during this time and leave off glasses or sunglasses.

Stress increases adrenalin levels and this in turn reduces the effectiveness of insulin. Therefore, try to avoid obvious stress and in addition learn relaxation and meditation exercises and practise daily. Also use suitable affirmations in a relaxed or meditative state. A frequent stress is exposure to electromagnetic radiation in the bedroom, see Electromagnetic Pollution.

If increased insulin production is desirable, you may use the following guided imagery while in a state of induced relaxation or meditation. Visualise clumps of cells in your pancreas which you know are beta cells, you may look beforehand at an anatomical picture of the pancreas. See them greatly increase in numbers and produce a substance, which you know is insulin. Imagine them releasing the necessary amount into the bloodstream and storing the rest for future use. In addition imagine your breath going in and out of the pancreas; feel the abdomen, including the pancreas, becoming warm. Maintain this feeling of warmth as long as you can and frequently repeat this exercise. You may also send feelings of love to your pancreas and imagine it shining as a bright light.

In your affirmations you may say: "The beta cells in my pancreas proliferate and reach normal numbers, they produce more and more insulin to regulate my blood sugar level perfectly. My liver and my pancreas are healthy and strong". To strengthen the liver meridian you may say and feel: "I am happy and cheerful" and for the pancreas mentally or with voice say: "I am secure and have faith and confidence in my future". For further information on using mind methods see Mind Tools. Be positive and expect to be how you really want to be and that is how you most likely will be.